Planar antenna

ABSTRACT

A planar antenna can include one or more high permeability objects that are added near the planar coil&#39;s tips. Further, the planar antenna includes a coil having two or more layers, with each layer having two or more turns. The planar antenna also has a restricted conductor arrangement, where there are a maximum number of turns arranged in any horizontal layer. A turn&#39;s conductor could be a single conductor or could be two (2) or more conductors arranged in parallel.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/290,568, filed on Mar. 1, 2019, which claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Chinese Application No. 201810016135.5filed on Jan. 8, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure is generally directed to antennas and, inparticular, toward planar antennas.

BACKGROUND

Mobile devices require a mobile power source, e.g., a battery, tofunction wirelessly. These batteries require periodic charging torefresh the power supply. There has been a shift to charge mobiledevices wirelessly because wireless charge technology makes the userexperience better. To charge a mobile device wirelessly, many mobiledevices employ a planar antenna, which is an antenna in which most ifnot all of the elements are in one plane. Planar antennas reduce theamount of space needed for receiving the wireless charging signal.

Generally, the coil of the planar antenna is made of Litz (a type ofspecialized multi-strand wire or cable used in electronics to carryalternating current (AC) at radio frequencies) or solid wire. In someother designs, printed circuit board (PCB) coil has been utilizedbecause of the PCB coil's thinness, high durability, consistentperformance, and precise geometry. Some other planar coils (e.g.,stamping coil, Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) coil, etc.) have also beenadopted because of those coil's thinness and low cost.

While these technologies are promising, improper planar coil design willcause large coil loss, high temperature rise, and reduce systemefficiency, which needs to be avoided. Current planar antennas use flatshielding and strong magnetic strength that is perpendicular to planarcoil's conductor, which design can cause huge coil loss. Further,improper conductor alignment causes circulating current in parallelconductors, which can also cause large coil loss.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a planar antenna in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a planar antenna in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a high-permeability object inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2C is another perspective view of a high-permeability object inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram for explaining circulating current inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a graph depicting losses in the planar antenna configurationsin accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is another cross-sectional view of a planar antenna inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 14 is another perspective view of a planar antenna in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is with respect to the above issues and other problems that theembodiments presented herein were contemplated. In general, embodimentsof the present disclosure provide a planar antenna. The planar antennacan have one or more high permeability objects that are added near theplanar coil's tips. The planar antenna has a restricted conductorarrangement, where there are a maximum number of turns arranged in anyhorizontal layer. A turn's conductor could be a single conductor orcould be two (2) or more conductors arranged in parallel.

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of an antenna pair 100 including atransmitter antenna 1 and a receiver antenna 2. The transmitter antenna1 can include a transmitter antennal planar coil 11 and transmitterantenna shielding 12. Similarly, the receiver antenna 2 can includereceiver antennal planar coil 21 and a receiver antenna shielding 22.The planar antennas 1, 2 will be explained with reference to thecoordinate system 101.

To provide power to the receiver antenna 2, the transmitter antenna 1and receiver antenna 2 are placed within physical proximity with thereceiver antenna 2 placed above or over the transmitter antenna 1 in the“Y” direction. A magnetic field generated by the transmitter antenna 1can induce a current in the receiver antenna 2. The current may thenpower the mobile device and/or charge a battery in the mobile device.

A cross section of the transmitter antenna 1 and receiver antenna 2, inthe XY-plane of FIG. 1A, may be as shown in FIG. 1B. The curved lines104, in air, represent the magnetic strength H of the magnetic fieldgenerated by the transmitter. Planar coils can be subjected to achanging magnetic field, and, during charging, some of the power thatwould ideally be transferred through the planar coil is lost in the coilor core. These losses may be dissipated as heat and sometimes noise. Thecolors in the conductor 11 represents the loss density (the amount ofloss in that area) in the conductor 11.

At planar coil's tip (edge) 108 a, 108 b, the magnetic strength H 104 isperpendicular (in the Y direction) to conductors 11. The magneticstrength H at the tips 108 can cause large eddy current losses in planarconductors, which is referred to as tip loss. As shown in FIG. 1B, thereare large tip losses at the tips 108 of the antenna 1, which representslarge loss density.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, to reduce tip loss, high magnetic permeabilityobjects 31, 32 can be placed in proximity to the coil's tip 108. Thehigh magnetic permeability objects 31, 32 can be made from ferrous orother materials that have a high magnetic permeability, for example,silicon steel, ferrite, soft iron, mu-metal, permalloy, supermalloy,Sendust, amorphous metal, Metglas, etc. As shown in FIG. 2A, the tiploss is reduced as evidenced by the reduction of loss density at tips108 a.

A perspective view of the planar antenna 12 may be as sown in FIG. 2B.As shown in FIG. 2B, the high permeability objects 31, 32 extend fromthe shielding 12 upward in the Y direction. The high permeability object31 is positioned in an interior of the antenna 1, and the coil 11encircles this high permeability object. The second high permeabilityobject 32 is positioned at an exterior of the antenna 1, and the coil 11is encircled by this high permeability object 32. The magneticresistance of the high permeability objects 31, 32 is low, which canreduce the magnetic strength H perpendicular to conductor 11.

In some configurations, the high permeability objects 31, 32 can be madeof the same material as the flat shielding 12, and can be formed withshielding 12 as a single piece. In other configurations, the highpermeability objects 31, 32 may be made from a material different fromthe flat shield 12, which may necessitate the high permeability objects31, 32 be coupled to the flat shielding 12. Coupling can include anytype of attachment method including mechanical attachment, fusing,welding, and/or adhering the high permeability objects 31, 32 to theflat shielding 12 with an adhesive or a paint that includes an adhesivemixed with magnetic powder that is deposited on coil's tips 108.

As shown in FIG. 2b , there could be two high permeability objects 31,32 at each tip of coil 108 a, 108 b. In some configurations, the outsidehigh permeability object 32 could have one or more openings or breaches(not shown). Further, in some configurations, there could be one highpermeability object 31 or 32 at one tip of coil 108 a or 108 b. As shownin FIG. 2C, to connect the coil 11 and other components conveniently,the high permeability object 31 can be arranged in the center of theshielding 12. The permeability of the high permeability object 31 shouldbe higher than the permeability of air. The high permeability objects31, 32 also increases the coupling coefficient of antenna 11, whichincrease wireless power transfer efficiency.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the high permeability objects 31, 32, nearconductor's tips 108 a, 108 b reduce the vertical magnetic strength Hand maintains the horizontal magnetic strength H, which causes thehorizontal H to be large and vertical H to be small. Horizontal H isbetween the layers of the coil 11; vertical H is between conductors insame layer. The planar coil 11 can contains one or more layers in theY-direction, for example, there may be two, four, or eight layers. As anexample, a four-layer PCB, as shown in FIG. 3, and according to Amperecircuital theorem, has a horizontal H value in every layer is shown atthe right of FIG. 3.

The planar coil 11 can contain multiple layers, with the conductors inthe coil 11 arranged in parallel to decrease direct current (DC)resistance. Generally, the current in every parallel conductor is notequal. This difference in current is called a circulation current.Current unbalance will also cause large coil loss.

According to Wireless Power Consortium's (WPC) technology specification,a transmitter antenna coil should include 10 turns. When considering thecoil's cost and DC resistance for a 10-turn coil, a two-layer PCB can beutilized. In general, to maintain the same DC resistance over thevarious conductors, the conductors 404 a, 404 b, 404 c, 404 d, 404 e,404 f, 404 g, 404 h, 404 i, and/or 404 j can be placed in series asshown as FIG. 4. Further, the conductors in the one “box” are inparallel in the Y-direction. Every “box” represents a single turn of theconductor 404, and the conductors 404 in each box are electricallyconnected in parallel.

The number of conductors 404, for example, 10, represents a turn number.According to above analysis, when high permeability objects 31, 32 areplaced near conductor's tips 108, there is horizontal H among theseparalleled conductors 404. This conductor arrangement can cause largecirculating current and coil loss.

FIG. 5 shows a visual diagram 500 for explained the theory ofcirculating current caused by the dynamic magnetic field. Current I1 504is the current of branch 1 508, current i2 512 is current of branch 2516. Branch 1 508 and branch 2 516 are in parallel. According toFaraday's law, dynamic magnetic strength in the loop of branch1 508 andbranch2 512 induces a circulating current i_(cir) 520 within the loop.

As explained earlier, when high permeability objects 31, 32 are arrangednear conductor's tip 108 a, and/or among coil's conductors 108 b, thehorizontal H is large and vertical H is small. As shown in FIG. 6, theantenna 11 can have two layers 604, 608. The conductors 612, 614, 616,618, and/or 620 are 1^(st)˜5^(th) turns and can be arranged in layer604, and conductors 622, 624, 626, 628 630 are 6^(th)˜10^(th) turns andcan be arranged in layer 608, as shown in FIG. 6. In otherconfigurations, there may be two or more conductors arranged inparallel. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, conductors 712 a, 712 b inbox 741 are in parallel. Similarly, conductors 714 a, 714 b in box 742,716 a and 716 b in box 743, 718 a and 718 b in box 744, 720 a and 720 bin box 745, 724 a and 724 b in box 746, 728 a and 728 b in box 747, 732a and 732 b in box 748, 736 a and 736 b in box 749, 740 a and 740 b inbox 750 are also in parallel. Boxes 741-750 may represent a single turnand may be connected in series. Conductors in each “box” are inparallel.

To decrease DC loss in the coil, more layers, e.g., layers 704, 708, canbe arranged in the planar antenna 11. FIGS. 8 and 9 show embodiments ofa four-layer PCB coil. As shown in FIG. 8, four conductors 804, 808,812, and 816, in one box 820 a, are in parallel. In FIG. 9, theconductors 804-816 are also in parallel, but arranged in a differentconfiguration. Every box 820 a-820 j represents a single turn and may beconnected in series. Although parallel conductors 804-816 have good DCresistance balance in these 2 patterns, shown in FIG. 8 or 9, largecirculating current induced by the dynamic magnetic strength can stillcause large coil loss.

Other configurations of the antenna 1000, 1100 may be as shown in FIGS.10 and 11. In the configurations 1000, 1100, the coil still has 10turns. Conductors 804, 808, 812 and 816 in “box” 820 a are paralleledand arranged in a same horizontal PCB layer. The conductors in “box” 820c are paralleled and arranged in two horizontal PCB layers. Thus, thecoil 1000 is arranged in four layers, with an average 2.5 turns in anyone layer.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, there can be three or less turns conductorsin any one horizontal layer. Conductors in one box 820 are in parallel.Every box represents one turn and is connected in series. The number ofboxes represents the turn number.

FIG. 12 shows a graph 1200 that compares the coil loss of turnconfigurations shown in FIGS. 8 through 11. As shown in graph 1200,configurations 1000 and 1100 have a lower coil loss than thearrangements 800, 900 in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9.

To determine the most turns number that can be arranged in onehorizontal layer, the term ceiling function (“ceil”), means roundingtowards ceiling, is used. In the equation, turns number is representedby “m,” and layer number is represented by “n.” The below expressiondetermines the most turns number that can be arranged in any horizontallayer is:

${ceil}\left( \frac{m}{n} \right)$

For example, when turns number m is 10, the layer number n is 4,m/n=2.5, ceil (2.5) is equal to 3. So the most turns number that can bearranged in one horizontal layer is 3.In FIG. 10, each horizontal layerhas 2.5 turns. In FIG. 11, configuration 1100 has a first layer with 2turns, a second layer with 3 turns, a third layer with 3 turns, and afourth layer with 2 turns. In the configuration 1300 of FIG. 13, thereare 3, 2, 2, 3 turns in the 1^(st), 2^(nd), 3^(rd), and 4^(th) layers,respectively. The pattern for the turns can be arranged in various otherpatterns, for example, 3, 2, 3, 2; 2, 3, 2, 3; turns in the 1^(st),2^(nd), 3^(rd), and 4^(th) layers, respectively.

A perspective view of the planar antenna 1400 may be as shown in FIG.14. As shown in FIG. 4, the planar antenna 1400 can have differentshapes, for example, rectangle, circular, oval, racetrack-shaped, etc.FIG. 14 shows a rectangle shape antenna 1404 from the top view.

The antenna described herein can be a transmitter antenna or/and areceiver antenna. Regardless, the antenna can have a high permeabilityobject placed at or near the planar coil's tips. Further, every turn'sconductor can be arranged in same horizontal layer. Still further, oneturn's coil could be one conductor or two or more parallel conductors.The ceiling function above can define the most turns possible in alayer.

The high permeability objects reduce vertical magnetic strength H, whichcause large eddy current losses, and can maximize H in the horizontaldirection. One turn's conductor is arranged in same horizontal layer,because H among conductors in same horizontal H is low. This arrangementwill not cause large circulating current and coil loss.

The features of the various embodiments described herein are notintended to be mutually exclusive. Instead, features and aspects of oneembodiment may be combined with features or aspects of anotherembodiment. Additionally, the description of a particular element withrespect to one embodiment may apply to the use of that particularelement in another embodiment, regardless of whether the description isrepeated in connection with the use of the particular element in theother embodiment.

Examples provided herein are intended to be illustrative andnon-limiting. Thus, any example or set of examples provided toillustrate one or more aspects of the present disclosure should not beconsidered to comprise the entire set of possible embodiments of theaspect in question. Examples may be identified by the use of suchlanguage as “for example,” “such as,” “by way of example,” “e.g.,” andother language commonly understood to indicate that what follows is anexample.

A number of variations and modifications of the disclosure can be used.It would be possible to provide for some features of the disclosurewithout providing others.

The present disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations, andaspects, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/orapparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, includingvarious embodiments, subcombinations, and subsets thereof. Those ofskill in the art will understand how to make and use the systems andmethods disclosed herein after understanding the present disclosure. Thepresent disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations, and aspects,includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items notdepicted and/or described herein or in various embodiments,configurations, or aspects hereof, including in the absence of suchitems as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., forimproving performance, achieving ease, and/or reducing cost ofimplementation.

The foregoing discussion of the disclosure has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intendedto limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In theforegoing Detailed Description for example, various features of thedisclosure are grouped together in one or more embodiments,configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining thedisclosure. The features of the embodiments, configurations, or aspectsof the disclosure may be combined in alternate embodiments,configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This methodof disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention thatthe claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recitedin each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventiveaspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosedembodiment, configuration, or aspect. Thus, the following claims arehereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of thedisclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a planar antenna,comprising: a coil comprising: a first turn in a first layer; a firsttip; a first high permeability object positioned in proximity to thefirst tip.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the coil further comprisesa second layer.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first layer includes asecond turn.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the coil comprising asecond tip opposite the first tip.

Any of the one or more above aspects, further comprising a second highpermeability object positioned in proximity to the second tip.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first turn includestwo or more conductors.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the two or more conductorsare arranged in parallel.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first layer includesfewer turns than the second layer.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second layer has fewerturns than the first layer.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first layer and thesecond layer has three or fewer turns.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first highpermeability object is made from one or more of ferrite, silicon-steel,amorphous steel, and/or soft steel.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the planar antenna is ofrectangular shape.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a maximum number of turnsin any layer is determined by the ceiling function: ceil(m/n).

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a coil of a planarantenna, comprising: a first layer, the first layer comprising: a firstturn; a second turn; a second layer, the second layer comprising: athird turn; and a fourth turn.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second layer includesa fifth turn.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second layer and thefirst layer have a different number of turns.

Any of the one or more above aspects, further comprising: a third layer;and a fourth layer.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first turn includestwo or more conductors, wherein the two or more conductors are arrangedin parallel.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the planar antenna is ofrectangular shape.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a maximum number of turnsin any layer is determined by the ceiling function: ceil(m/n).

Any one or more of the aspects/embodiments as substantially disclosedherein.

Any one or more of the aspects/embodiments as substantially disclosedherein optionally in combination with any one or more otheraspects/embodiments as substantially disclosed herein.

One or means adapted to perform any one or more of the aboveaspects/embodiments as substantially disclosed herein.

The phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” “or,” and “and/or” areopen-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive inoperation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, Band C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “oneor more of A, B, or C,” “A, B, and/or C,” and “A, B, or C” means Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, or A, B and C together.

The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. Assuch, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” can beused interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms“comprising,” “including,” and “having” can be used interchangeably.

The term “automatic” and variations thereof, as used herein, refers toany process or operation, which is typically continuous orsemi-continuous, done without material human input when the process oroperation is performed. However, a process or operation can beautomatic, even though performance of the process or operation usesmaterial or immaterial human input, if the input is received beforeperformance of the process or operation. Human input is deemed to bematerial if such input influences how the process or operation will beperformed. Human input that consents to the performance of the processor operation is not deemed to be “material.”

Aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an embodimentthat is entirely hardware, an embodiment that is entirely software(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.”Any combination of one or more computer-readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signalmedium or a computer-readable storage medium.

The terms “determine,” “calculate,” “compute,” and variations thereof,as used herein, are used interchangeably and include any type ofmethodology, process, mathematical operation or technique.

What is claimed is:
 1. A planar antenna, comprising: a coil comprising: a first turn in a first layer; and a first tip; and a first high permeability object positioned in proximity to the first tip, wherein the first high permeability object includes a first section, a second section, and a third section between the first section and the second section, wherein the third section is recessed from the first section and the second section and accommodates the coil, wherein the first section surrounds the coil, wherein the second section is surrounded by the coil, wherein the second section comprises an uninterrupted top surface that spans over an entire top of the second section.
 2. The planar antenna of claim 1, wherein the coil further comprises a second layer.
 3. The planar antenna of claim 2, wherein the first layer includes a second turn.
 4. The planar antenna of claim 3, wherein the second turn includes two or more conductors electrically connected in parallel and in a same plane within the first layer.
 5. The planar antenna of claim 1, wherein the coil includes a void at a center of the coil.
 6. The planar antenna of claim 5, wherein the second section occupies the void.
 7. The planar antenna of claim 2, wherein the first turn includes two or more conductors electrically connected in parallel and in a same plane within the first layer.
 8. The planar antenna of claim 2, wherein the first layer includes fewer turns than the second layer.
 9. The planar antenna of claim 2, wherein the second layer has fewer turns than the first layer.
 10. The planar antenna of claim 2, wherein each of the first layer and the second layer has three or fewer turns.
 11. The planar antenna of claim 1, wherein the first high permeability object is made from one or more of ferrite, silicon-steel, amorphous steel, and/or soft steel.
 12. The planar antenna of claim 11, wherein the planar antenna is a rectangular shape.
 13. The planar antenna of claim 12, wherein a maximum number of turns in the first layer is determined by the ceiling function: ${{ceil} = \left( \frac{m}{n} \right)},$ where m represents a total number of turns and n represents a total number of layers.
 14. The planar antenna of claim 1, wherein the first high permeability object is a single piece object comprising the first section, the second section, and the third section.
 15. The planar antenna of claim 1, wherein the second section forms a cylinder shape that protrudes from the third section.
 16. A coil of a planar antenna, comprising: a first layer, the first layer comprising: a first turn, wherein the first turn includes two or more conductors, wherein the two or more conductors are electrically connected in parallel and are in a same plane within the first layer; and a second turn; and a second layer on the first layer, the second layer comprising: a third turn; and a fourth turn, wherein a maximum number of turns in any layer is determined by the ceiling function: ${{ceil}\left( \frac{m}{n} \right)},$ where m represents a total number of turns and n represents a total number of layers.
 17. The coil of claim 16, wherein the second layer includes a fifth turn.
 18. The coil of claim 16, wherein the second layer and the first layer have a different number of turns.
 19. The coil of claim 16, further comprising: a third layer; and a fourth layer.
 20. The coil of claim 16, wherein the planar antenna is a rectangular shape. 